Progress report on the recommendations agreed at GRAM 2003
The report Relations Between the BHA and Local Humanism – also between the humanist groups themselves by Barrie Berkley (North East Humanists) and Josh Kutchinsky (Hampstead Humanist Society) was tabled at last year’s GRAM. The primary aim was to suggest how the BHA and local groups could:
(i) improve their communications and relations
(ii) pursue their shared goals for the development and advancement of the humanist movement.
GRAM 2003 provided a very positive response to the recommendations which were all agreed with only minor wording changes.
Below you will find details of the progress made on each of the recommendations listed below (note: the wording is as agreed at GRAM 2003).
Recommendation # 1: That the BHA should set up a dedicated working party to plan (i.e. review options and make recommendations) for a membership drive for national and local humanism (this working party would benefit from having local group participation)
Progress: The setting up of this working party has followed the engagement of a replacement BHA staff member for Membership & Development. Members of the working party are Hanne Stinson (Executive Director), Jonathan Simons (Treasurer), Jemma Hooper (the new Membership & Development Officer) for the BHA and Dan Bye (Sheffield), Dennis Collins (Cambridge University) and Josh Kutchinsky (Hampstead) for the affiliated groups. The terms of reference will also include Fundraising. A designated e-forum has been set up by the Humanist Groups Network to enable efficient communication between the working party members.
Recommendations #2&3 (combined at GRAM 2003):That the BHA ask local humanists to volunteer, in association with the BHA, to design a leaflet specifically conceived to promote membership of the BHA to local group members. That local humanist groups having affiliated to the BHA should promote the BHA and other humanist organisations. Literature supplied by the BHA should be made available to their membership and mention of the BHA and the other national organisations should be made whenever possible and appropriate.
Progress: The leaflet would appear to fall within the remit of the above working party. Copies of BHA Newsletters are already being sent to affiliated groups for distribution to their members. Feedback from groups is needed on the extent on their promotion of the BHA.
(Note: With the formation of the new working party on Fundraising and a Membership Drive, the above recommendations 1-3 have been consolidated into a new Action Item 1 for consideration at GRAM 2004.)
Recommendation #4: That the BHA (an organisation whose resources we accept are constrained) should give serious consideration to all reasonable suggestions received from its members and from affiliated local groups. The BHA has confirmed that this is its policy and that no suggestions will be dismissed simply because of lack of resources.
Progress: Hanne Stinson has fully accepted this recommendation.
Recommendation #5: That local groups together might devise a method of receiving and reviewing suggestions from their membership for submission to the BHA for the following reasons:
* A suggestion put to the BHA in this way would inevitably carry greater weight.
* The risk of the BHA incorrectly evaluating a suggestion due to pressure on resources will be reduced.
It would be a good idea if the BHA were to be informed and consulted about any proposal at the earliest possible stage so as to avoid a situation where time and effort are devoted to a proposal only to have it rejected by the BHA. Clearly the BHA would always retain the right to organise its own priorities, in the interest of its members.
Progress: A forum on the Humanist Groups Network website for Designated Local Group Representatives will soon be fully operational (It may already be so by the time you read this) enabling implementation of this recommendation This recommendation is also incorporated into GRAM 2004 Action Item 3.
Recommendation #6: That the BHA ensures that local groups are promoted in every edition of BHA News.
Progress: The new newsletter format for BHA News carries a Groups round-up and To contact your local group which appear to meet this requirement adequately.
Recommendation #7: That the BHA provides a link from an item “Your local group” on the BHA website’s home page to a dedicated page providing a listing of affiliated local groups with contact details and other information as appropriate.
Progress: The new BHA website now opens on the first page with a link to "Humanist Groups". Clicking on the link opens a new frame headed "Humanist Groups" followed by:
"Local Humanist Groups affiliated to the BHA - The following groups throughout the UK are independent of, but work with and support, the activities of the BHA. The BHA provides support, mailings and publicity for the Groups. If you cannot locate a group in your immediate area, consider contacting the nearest one as Groups often cover a large geographical area."
Below this there is a list of all groups. Each group name also provides a link to a new frame dedicated to that group and providing contact information and possibly details of meetings, latest meeting, weblinks etc. See Item 11 below for the latest thinking by the BHA on this.
It would make more sense for the BHA to link to a page on the group's own website which can provide up to date information, contact details, next event and so on. These are matters which are in the control of the local group and not the BHA. For groups without their own website the BHA will continue to effectively provide a web presence for your group and is actively interested in developing this with you.
(note: The recommendation that the link on the BHA first page should be to "your local group" or some variant containing the word "local" has not been met, as yet. As the BHA also lists "Other Groups and Organisations in the UK and Ireland" in the same frame as the list of local groups, having "local" on the link would not be appropriate. Consideration is being given by the BHA to find a solution to this problem.
Recommendation #8: That the BHA will print a full listing of affiliated local groups containing, at least, the minimum contact details as requested by the individual groups. That this list will then be sent to all new members of the BHA and to existing members when thought appropriate and enclosed as an insert in BHA News from time to time.
Progress: For a period of time the BHA did provide a list but its ultimate aim would be to provide each new member with details of their nearest local group or groups. At present the letter going out to new members invites them to come back to the BHA if they would like information about local groups. This matter needs further discussion and whilst there have been problems in implementing this recommendation the will to do so is apparently still there.
Recommendation #9: That BHA News will carry a “Groups roundup” section in every edition. This has been expressed to us as the BHA’s intention. It is clearly in part dependent on the ability of the BHA to gather this news (see the following recommendation)
Progress: The BHA has implemented this recommendation.
Recommendation #10: That local groups (possibly by means of an e-Working Party) will consider how best to assist the BHA in gathering local groups’ news.
Progress: No specific action has yet been taken on this but BHA News does seem to be finding sufficient news material to maintain a section on local group activities
Recommendation #11: That the BHA should actively promote local humanism on its website, in its leaflets and publicity. The BHA has stated its intention/willingness to put more group information on its website (meeting dates, places etc, as well as contact info). Further improvements to the way in which local humanism is promoted in BHA printed material needs to be considered by both the BHA and local humanism
Progress: Hanne Stinson welcomed the recommendation. In relation to providing information about groups and their activities on the BHA website she says that the BHA would like to encourage groups to develop their own websites and ensure that they are kept up to date. The BHA would then provide a link to the group website (rather than maintaining a page on the BHA website), this would make sure that updated information on each group is always available to visitors to the BHA website. Where a group is unable to maintain its own website the BHA will endeavour to continue to provide the group with a shop window but will, of necessity, be reliant on receiving details of say a forthcoming event in sufficient time to ensure accuracy. There is a need for the HGN to monitor this issue. The new working party of Fundraising and Membership may also find aspects of this recommendation within its remit.
Recommendation #12: The booklets Running a local humanist group and Setting up and running a Student Humanist group should be revised in consultation with local groups/individuals and published initially in e-editions freely available from the BHA and other websites. A hard copy ideally should also be available but could be printed in a low cost format in small numbers for distribution to BHA affiliated groups and members who are not online and as the need arises. Volunteers are needed to form a group to perform this task. (an offer to co-ordinate the revision of the booklet Running a local humanist group has been made by Jane Wynne Willson (Birmingham) who was responsible with others in putting together the original document in 1989)
Progress: This work has been considered in outline and is actively being pursued.
Recommendation #13: That the local groups together might consider how best to make use of the Internet and how to provide information for use by the BHA’s website in a most effective and cost efficient manner.
Progress: The Humanist Groups Network (HGN) already has a web presence and several forums up and running. One forum is for a joint BHA/local groups working party. The Humanist Groups Network is to be formally launched at GRAM 2004.
Recommendation #14: That local groups should develop and extend the current e-communications between groups for the purposes of mutual support, the sharing of ideas and skills and the active promotion of humanism.
Progress: This has been covered by action under 13
Recommendation #15: That local groups should consider how to keep those groups not online onboard.
Progress: This has been covered to some extent by action under 13
Recommendation #16: In order to share good practice an account from local groups of their activities should be sought. The results should be collated and edited for publication in an e-edition. Some information about the activities of local groups has already been posted on the humanist groups’ egroup. (Margaret Nelson has informed us that Suffolk Humanists has offered to publish a BHA groups directory free of charge, if the BHA will pay the postage for its distribution – this directory will be based on the responses to a questionnaire and also available in an e-format).
Progress: This project is expected to be completed in time for GRAM 2004.
Recommendation #17: That local groups decide what objectives should be set for the next GRAM and how they are to be achieved.
Progress: This didn’t happen to any extent this year. However, this is an item on the GRAM 2004 agenda and using among other means the HGN discussion forums hopefully will be implemented.
ADDITIONAL ITEM: In the 2003 report although it was not one of the recommendations it was noted in Section 4.5 of the report that: “The BHA currently supports local groups in several ways:...it is prepared to promote local groups to BHA members by general and targeted mailings..."
At GRAM 2003 local groups were invited to provide leaflets or other promotional material to the BHA Membership and Development Officer, Justine Brian. Justine has now left and Jemma Hooper is the new BHA Membership and Development Officer. Mailings did go out on behalf of some groups. It would be good to hear more about how this went. It would also be good to see other groups taking advantage of this recruitment opportunity. This will no doubt also be considered by the BHA/Local Groups working party looking into fundraising and increasing national and local membership.
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